Pietra Marina, Etna Bianco Superiore, Benanti - 2018

At the end of the 1800s, Giuseppe Benanti, grandfather of Dr. Giuseppe Benanti, began the production of wines on one of his father’s old farms on the slopes of Mount Etna, at Viagrande. Almost 100 years later, Giuseppe Benanti decided to reinvogorate the winery in 1988, when there were only four wineries in the Mt. Etna area. Now there are 154. Since 2012, the winery has been managed by Giuseppe’s fraternal twin sons, Antonio and Salvino, who remain committed to producing wines using 100% native grapes: Carricante, Cataratto, Nerello Mascalese, and Nerello Cappuccio. Crafted from 80-year-old vines, this varietal Carricante is intensely aromatic, marked by flavors of smoke, sea salt, lemon skin, and white flowers. Excellent with a grill-roasted branzino.